Railway-signal-operating mechanism.



PATENTBD MAY 29, 1906.

L. H. THULLBN. RAILWAY SIGNAL OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIGN FILED MA1L24, 1906.

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RATBNTBD MAY 29, 1906.

No. 821,899y

L. H. THULLEN. 'RAILWAY SIGNAL OPERATING MECHA NISM.

`PPLIGATION FILED MAR.24,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 24 comprise a dashl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. TIIULLEN, OF EDGEWOOD PA RK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR l PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN SYLVA-N IA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL-OPERTING WIEGHANISIVI.`

Bpecicaton of Letters Patent.

ratented May 29, 1906.

Application led March 24; 1906. Benni No, 307,883.

To a/l when@ it may concern:

Be it known that I, -LoUis H. citizen ofthe United States, residin at Edgewood Perk, in the county of Alleg eny and State of Penne lvania,have invented certain new and usefu Im rovements in Ralwa S' Vnal-Opstating echanisms, of which t e fo lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanisms for operating railway-signals, and whichvare designed for use more particularly in connection with that' class of si nale known in the art as semaphore-signa s. These signals aregenorally pivotally su ported on uprights or posts at predetermine intervals throughout the signaling system and usually cornrise a signal arm or vblade and a spectacle avin openings therein in which are arrange'V dn'erent-colored lenses designed for illumination to ive indication by night, the Whole being so isposed relatively with each other that under certain conditions the spectacle will act as a Weight or counterpoise and move the signal-arm to one of its positions of indication, usually to a horizontal position, indicating deugen while apipropriate mechanism, in which are include the important features of my invention, will move the signal arm or blade to assume an inclined position indicating safety These movements of the signal arm or blade, and especially at the nal completion of its strokes, cause considerable shock and strain on the various parts and connections, which are necessarily heavy in their construction. This has usually been overcome, or at least considerahi Vnmrin'xiaed, by the addition' of buffers which have generally been permanently connected to the operating mechanism in such manner as to act as a cushion to take up the impact ofthe parte at the completion of the stroke of the signal.

The buffers at present in use ot and plunger, t e latter hein permanent y connected to some art of t e signal-operating mechanism an arranged to act as a cushion onlywlien the signal arm or blade moves to the horizontal position of danger;" but, owing to the positive and permanent connecti n between the ouffer or cushion device and the operating mechanism, before mentioned, it has been ob- THULLEN, a

Ysignal,

' enerallyY served that the plungers at timesY become inoperative, or at least uncertain intheir action, due to their tendency to stick in the Ydashots, which render the o eration of the signa more or less doubtiul. Obviously, therefore a permanent connection between the signal-operating mechanism and the bufer or mislnon` device is undesirable and is likewise detrimental to the positive and successful operation oi the signal arm or blade objections and to provide for the positive o eration of the signal blade or arm under a l conditions are amen the important objects of my invention, W 'ch may be said to comprise a buffer or cushion device in combination with a signal-operating mechanism and a movable part connected to the signal arm or blade and adapted to engage the buffer or cushion device after a partial movement of the signal arm or blade has been effected in either direction.

I will describe a buffer or cushion device embodying my invention, illustratin its application to a signal-operating mec ianism, and then point out the novel ceatures thereof in claims.

In the accompanying represents a sectional elevation operating mechanism and signal drawings, Figure l of a signalvention applied thereto. This view illus-- trates what is known in the art as a high and the signal arm or blade is shown separated therefrom for purposes of conventence. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereofE the signal arm or blade being omitted. Fig. 3 is a seetionaleievation of what is known in. the art as a dwarf signal, having a buieror cushion device embodying my invention-applied tliereto; Fi 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4 4 of 3, shovving the semaphore or al arm in dotted lines.

Si reference characters designate responding parte in all the iigures of drawings.'

Referring an electro the to said drawings, A designates eti'c device for controlli the operation of t e signal arm or blade B, w ich is moved from one position to another through Vthe medium of a movable part (l and connecting-rod D. The electromagnetic device may for the reasons stated. To overcome these l having a ,t buffer or cushion device embodying my 'mtoo be of any desired form or construction, and for purposes of illustration l. have shown it in the form of a solenoid having the usual core a, the lower end of which is connected to the movable member C, which, as here shown, comprises a lever ivotally supported in suitable bearings an( adapted to rise and fall with the core a, as will be obvious. The connecting-rod D is pivoted at one end to the lever C and at its other end to the signal arm or blade, as shown, so that an upward Inovement of said lever will cause the yrod D to move the signal arm or blade to an inclined position to indicate csafetyf while upon a return or downward movement of the lever the si nal arm or blade will move to a hori- Zonta? position indicatin dangen This position of the parts is shown in the drawings and is well understood in the art.

The lever or movable member C travels in the path, of my improved buffer or cushioning device, which is so arranged relatively with the lever as to permit thellatter to have a partial and free movement in. both directions before it engages the cushion or buffer, thereby positively effecting a movement of the signal arm or blade and insuring the` pro er erformance ofits functions.

l he uifer or cushion device as here shown comprises two cylinders E and F and coacting plungers e and f, dis iosed in such manner with respect to the lever C that as the latter moves inone direction or the other it will alternately engage the plungers and take up the impact due to-the rise and fall of the signal-arm and its connections. The cylinder E is preferably secured to a base-plate G, which may form a common support for the solenoid or other electromagnetic device and movable member C, as shown, and its pluner e may be provided with resilient means or movin it into a position to meet the movable memer as the latter travels toward it during the operation of the signal arm or blade, thereby establishing a spring-cushion to minimize the shock or impact of said movable member and connected parts. This is accomplished, preferably, by the use of a spiral sprin H, one end of which rests on the base-plate and its other end against the extremity of an opening h, provided for the purpose in the plunger e.

The plunger f may be similarly constructed to that just described, and a spring may also be employed to move it into position to meet the movable member as it travels toward it; but I prefer to arrange said lunger so as to fall by gravity, as shown, and) to have the air alone, which 1s compressed in the cylinder E behind the plunger as the latter moves in, the cylinder, act as a cushion to take up the impact of the lever and its connections as they move in an opposite direction.

The buff ers are preferably arranged in vertical orfler, as shown, to meet the requirements of a vertical stroke of the movable member C and rod D and are so disposed relatively as to provide a space between their respective plungers e and f in order that the lever C may have a partial and unobstructed movement before it contacts witheither of said plungers. Thus the gradual momentum of the lever will when it encounters either of the lungers serve to release them should they stick in the cylinder, and thereby insure the positive operation of the signal arm or blade.

The construction shown in F i s. 2 and3 is similar in many respects to tat just described, the difference existing merely in. the connections between the signal arm or blade and the electromagnetic device. It will be seen that the lever C is dispensed with and a connecting-rod D is secured directl to the core ai, its upper extremity being gui ed in a suitable keeper d, arranged in a housing which preferably incloses the operating mechanism. The signal arm or blade is mounted on a crank-shaft J, and the crank-arms y' are each provided with an elongated groove j j', in which lateral extensions on the shaft J move. These extensions may comprise a pin jz, projectin through the connecting-rod D sui'liciently ar to receive thereon rollers y'3 js, which when said rod rises under the inluence of current in the magnets of thesolenoid will travel in the grooves j j', and thus remove any strain which would otherwise be exerted-on the rod D. The core a in this construction projects below the Winding of the electromagnetic device A and engages the plunger e of the buffer or cushion device E, and the extremityA the plunger j of the ufer or cushion device `F when the signal arm or blade moves to its di l`erent positions.

ln the operationof my invention and when the system of signaling is that of the normally clear the magnets of the electromagnetic device are magnetized and its core or armature aattracted to the poles thereof, so that the movable member will be lifted to the dottedline position shown in Fig. 4, thereby lifting the rod D and moving the signal arm or blade B to its inclined position, indicatin` "safety." When, however, the magnets o the electromagnetic device are demagnetized, which is their condition illustrated in the drawings, and due generally to short-circuiting or opening of a circuit leading from a battery or other source of current-supply included in the circuit for controlling the operation of the signaling mechanism, the spectacle by its Weight, combined with that of its connections, will cause the signal blade or arm to move to the horizontal position of danger, durin which movement the movable member Wil engage the buffer or cushion device E, as previously described.

Having thus described my invention, what of the rod D engages i" either direction, en

tromagnetic device, o e buffer or cushion de- I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Een l ent, is in foiiiiws:

l. Phe combination with a mechanism 'lor f operetinga railway-sional comprising en electromagnetic deviceJ oie buffer or cushion device, a. movable party controllori by seid eicetromegnetic device, and edepted to eng-ege the said buiferor cushion device upon. n movement of said sigi'ial in either direction, and a connection between seid movable part end the sivnal.

2. lhe coinhin ntion with e mech :mism for operating n railway-si gliel com prising an elec tromagnetic device, of a huifer or cushion device, a, movable part controlled by seid electromagnetic device and adapted to engage said buier or cushion device after a partiel movement of said si nel has been effected in a, connection between seid movable part and the signal arm or blade.

3. The combination with amechenism for operating areilway-s nel comprising en elec vice comprising two cylinders and concting piunereo movable pert adepte-d to eiternate y engage the plungersnpon a movement of seid signal in elther direction, and a connection between seid'movable part and the signa. l

4. The combination with e mechanism for operatinga railway-si nel comprising en electromagnetic device, o a bnier'or cushion de- `\vice comprising two cylinders and coecting plungers separated from each other to`provide a. space therebetween, e movable part adapted to travel between the respective plungers end to engage them after e partiel movement oi' the signal has been effected' in either direction, and a connection between the movable part and the signal.

5. The combination with e mechanism for ingiurie-:telic device, ci' it heifer or cushion device. f; @ivmally-i'nounted movable part conti-niied by .said electromagnetic device and edepl ed to engage scid huiier or cushion device after a 1'.- `Nini movement of the signni hns been efiected in either direction,` and a connection between the movable part and the :igual Ei. The combination with e mechanism for operating a. railwey-signei, eol'npiising: en electromagnetic device, of e buffer or cushion device comprising two cylinders and conc ting piungers seperated from each other to provide a. space therebetween, e resilient device so dis osed with relai-.ion to one or both of seid p lingers on to move them in one direc* tion, a movable part adapted to elterneteig,v en gage the plonge-rs only efr-ei. a partici movement oi the signei in either direction has been effected, and c connection between said movable part and the signal.

7. The combination with e mechanism for o erating a` reiiwnysignai, comprisin en e ectromegnetic device, of a buffer or cus ion device comprising two cylinders und coecting piungers seperated from each other to provide a space therebetween, u spring so disposed withreletion to one of seid piangere as to move it in one direction, a nioveoe pertcomprising a iever adapted to have e free and unobstructed movement between the pinngers and to alternately engage them only after a partiel movement of the signal in either direction has been eiectcrh end a. connection between seid movable part end the signal,

In testimony n'l'lereof I have signed my neyne to this specification in 'the presence of two .subscribed witnesses.

L-UIS H. THULLEN. `wmv'itnesses: L. FREDERIC Hovvnnn,4

operating e railway-signal, comprising en W. L. MODA Ninn. 

